extremism

Google has unveiled four measures it will use to tackle the spread of terror-related material online. Among the measures it is deploying will be smarter software that can spot extremist material and greater use of human experts to vet content. [...] In addition, it said, it would work with Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter to establish an industry body that would produce technology other smaller companies could use to police problematic content.

Egypt's soft power is important not only for the country's identity, but also to encourage a serious discussion among Arabs on religious discourse. It can support a culture that discourages hate speech and promotes the co-existence of all peoples. While this effort must be led by our political leaders, scholars, entertainers and cultural influencers can contribute to this dialogue.

Promoting culture is imperative for Arabs given the destruction of, and war on, culture launched by extremist and terrorist groups in the Middle East/North Africa region, said Sultan Al Qassemi. [...] Al Qassemi spoke on the Arab world’s rich history in culture, and promoted the notion of cultural diplomacy, but admitted funding in general remained a hindrance to supporting the arts.

The US official emphasised that the social media can be more effective tool in the hands of young Arabs to fight extremism and violence if properly used since it is an effective soft power that can spread the message of tolerance, understanding and modernity on a larger scale and enhance the impact of their countries in various global arenas.

The use of public diplomacy and social media can both be powerful tools in sharing ideas and messages that counter extremism and properly convey the cultures and ideas of countries, a senior US government official said at Zayed University on Wednesday.

"We are ready to expand and strengthen contacts with Muslim and non-governmental organizations in the region along the line of 'people's diplomacy', we are ready to help the peoples of the region to overcome armed conflicts by sharing the experience of Russian Muslims..."